The Social Problem of Homelessness
The Social Problem of Homelessness
“Hobo, bum, vagrant and transient” are all common names for people who
find themselves having to cope with the problem of homelessness. Not only does
homelessness have a serious impact on a lot more people than expected, it causes
a multitude of other problems for not only the homeless person but society as a
whole. They are seemingly everywhere and yet they are invisible people. They
have become so commonplace that they become part of the landscape. They are of
no more importance than the wall of the building they lean on or the freeway
overpass they sleep under. The numbers are staggering; especially considering
this is the richest and most powerful nation on earth. In a given year, as many
as 3.5 million people are homeless in the United States, or approximately 1%of
the entire population. During any given week as many as 842,000 people are
homeless. Even with these statistics the numbers will never be accurate due to
the difficulty in finding all of the homeless, a population that is never in one
place long enough to count.
Each year millions of people experience homelessness and are in desperate need of healthcare services.
Most of these people do not have health insurance and lack access to the funds
they need to pay for medical care. To compound the problem they also lack
transportation and have little to no control over their daily lives. Forced to
depend on the daily routine of homeless shelters and soup kitchens, or whatever
marginal jobs will allow them to meet even their most basic survival needs. They
have been discarded by society and their numbers are staggering.
Homelessness is one
of our nation’s most serious and social problems, while more often than not it
is the cause of interwoven systemic and personal problems, the primary cause of
homelessness among families are the growing gaps between affordable housing
costs and income. The emergency shelter system is only able to accommodate a
fraction of the growing number of homeless families in need. Others are forced
to live in their vehicles, garages, storage units and other placed unfit for
human habitation. More are forced to move from place to place with their
children staying temporarily with family or friends for as long as they can.
Studies have shown that even facing a short period of homelessness can lead to
depression, mental illness, and incidents of child neglect.
According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, we are experiencing a time period
when worse-case housing needs are at an all-time rise. While some communities
are beginning to see reductions in chronic homelessness, in many communities
family homelessness is booming and families with children are the fastest
growing victims of the homeless population.
According to the U.S
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S Department of Health and
Human Services, the leading causes of homelessness are as follows:
1.
The change in mental health systems since the 1950’s, a shift
towards “community-based” treatment of mentally ill rather than long-term
commitment to institutions.
2.
Re-development and gentrification of neighborhoods in cities,
demolishing low-income neighborhoods.
3.
The economic crisis of the 1970’s and the current economic recession
4.
The failure of the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs to provide
effective mental healthcare for veterans.
5.
Natural disasters
6.
Women and children fleeing domestic violence
7.
Foreclosure of homes
8.
Evictions from apartments
9.
Difficulty of released prisoners to find gainful employment
Homelessness inevitability causes serious health problems. Many severe illnesses are closely related to poverty
including tuberculosis, malnutrition, and severe dental issues all devastate the
homeless population. Health problems that otherwise exist quietly among other
income levels such as alcoholism, mental illness, diabetes, hypertension, and
physical disabilities are more prominent on the streets. People without shelter
also fall prey to parasites, frostbite, infections and violence.
Once a family becomes homeless, it is extremely difficult for them to get back into rental
housing. There is a currant shortage of affordable housing particularly for
larger families with children, and the majority of property owners will not rent
to a family with poor credit history or a previous eviction. Single mothers and
the elderly above all else face enormous obstacles in finding affordable and
decent rental housing. To compound the situation property owners often require
security deposits along with first and last month’s rent and there are often
additional deposits required to obtain utility service, especially if the renter
has a history of non-payment. These factors can all lead to renewed
homelessness.
Homelessness is something that cannot always be avoided. On one hand, there are people who had
perhaps gone bankrupt and were on the streets for the simple reason that they
had not yet found the motivation to fix their lives or improve their situation.
The most dangerous social problem lies in the homeless people suffering from
mental illness. The majority of this problem escalated with the introduction of
de-institutionalization. Civil rights advocates and leaders have long been
working for the mentally ill finding ways to keep them out of hospitals and
programs. Their main goal was to preserve the freedom of these people; however
the efforts made to keep them out of mental health programs have had an adverse
effect and hurt the cause of those diagnosed with mental illnesses at an
alarming rate. People who are homeless and suffer from a mental illness can be
particularly dangerous to society because they are often at times desperate,
needy and completely unaccountable for their actions. Due to the stigma that
surrounds mental illness it becomes difficult for many people to identify these
people by their condition alone. De-institutionalization has left many mentally
incapable people out on the streets without any system of supervision or any
plan for their future. Civil rights movements, while trying to show good intent
have created a system in which there is little to no accountability for a group
that has no control over their actions when un-medicated or not seeking
treatment. Statistics also show that people who are homeless and suffer from
mental illness tend to have much higher rates of suicide. These people lack
accountability for their actions because they are often acquitted of crimes in
a Court of Law on the basis of their mental illness alone. The answer to the
problem is far from just abandoning these people to the streets. They are real
people with real problems and it is important that they are recognized and
treated as such. Because of this one solution may be the re-introduction of
institutionalization for these types of people who have correctly been
recognized as mental health risks. They should have options and receive help
wherever possible. While the financial cost of providing such a public service
may be large it is too big of a social problem to ignore.
Another solution to the homeless problem among families was the implementation of the “Housing
first” or “rapid re-housing” program, which is a new alternative to the previous
system of emergency shelter/transitional housing. In the past the former
programs had a tendency to prolong the length of time that families remained
homeless. The “methodology” is based on the belief that vulnerable and at-risk
families are more responsive to interventions and social service support after they have obtained their own
residence rather than living in the temporary/transitional facilities or housing
programs. The” housing first” program stresses the return of families
independent living as soon as possible. “Providing crisis intervention to
address immediate family needs while assisting families to develop perminate
housing and social service plans, helping families move into affordable housing
in residential neighborhoods as quickly as possible, often with their own lease
agreements; then providing six months to one year of individualized, home-based
social service support “after move” to help each family sustain in large inner
cities, the “housing first” approach provides a link between emergency
shelter/transitional housing systems that serve homeless families and the
mainstream resources and services that can help them to rebuild their lives in
a permanent housing situation and as members of a neighborhood and community”
are the main goals.
While acknowledging and addressing the personal and social factors that contribute to family homelessness, the “Housing
first” methodology was designed to more effectively address the economic root
cause of the problem: the lack of affordable housing. The approach deals with
the problems that homeless families face: poverty, economic development, social
infrastructure and how they all correlate to housing. Families are involved in a
“progressive set of economic and social services after they have obtained
perminate housing and are no longer affected by the crisis of homelessness. The
“housing first” approach also places great emphasis on reducing duplication of
effort and maximizing the effectiveness of community resources by situating
homeless families within the larger community. The program believes in fostering
human connection.”
While there have been several new programs aimed at helping the homeless
and reaching those at risk before they end up there is much work to be done.
Does the government even really care? I struggle with this question daily. I
want to know how this happens in the United States of America. A country that is
so generous to other nations less fortunate yet we fail miserably to care for
our own. I want to know how people can become so invisible to the rest of us. I
want to know how people are asked to serve their country but the country is not
required to serve its people. While is the playing field so uneven? I want to
know why poverty and homelessness escape so many people’s concern. Evidentially
we cannot count on the government to take care of its citizens. Evidentially we
cannot count on the corporations feeling any civic responsibility to help those
with less. Where is our human compassion and empathy for those who
suffer?
Works Cited
1.
http://www.cpa.ia/factsfactssheethomeless.htm
2.
Commentary Magazine/summaries/V8315PQ34-1/June2009
3.
www.hud.gov/homeless/index.cfm
4.
Http://endhomeless.org
“Hobo, bum, vagrant and transient” are all common names for people who
find themselves having to cope with the problem of homelessness. Not only does
homelessness have a serious impact on a lot more people than expected, it causes
a multitude of other problems for not only the homeless person but society as a
whole. They are seemingly everywhere and yet they are invisible people. They
have become so commonplace that they become part of the landscape. They are of
no more importance than the wall of the building they lean on or the freeway
overpass they sleep under. The numbers are staggering; especially considering
this is the richest and most powerful nation on earth. In a given year, as many
as 3.5 million people are homeless in the United States, or approximately 1%of
the entire population. During any given week as many as 842,000 people are
homeless. Even with these statistics the numbers will never be accurate due to
the difficulty in finding all of the homeless, a population that is never in one
place long enough to count.
Each year millions of people experience homelessness and are in desperate need of healthcare services.
Most of these people do not have health insurance and lack access to the funds
they need to pay for medical care. To compound the problem they also lack
transportation and have little to no control over their daily lives. Forced to
depend on the daily routine of homeless shelters and soup kitchens, or whatever
marginal jobs will allow them to meet even their most basic survival needs. They
have been discarded by society and their numbers are staggering.
Homelessness is one
of our nation’s most serious and social problems, while more often than not it
is the cause of interwoven systemic and personal problems, the primary cause of
homelessness among families are the growing gaps between affordable housing
costs and income. The emergency shelter system is only able to accommodate a
fraction of the growing number of homeless families in need. Others are forced
to live in their vehicles, garages, storage units and other placed unfit for
human habitation. More are forced to move from place to place with their
children staying temporarily with family or friends for as long as they can.
Studies have shown that even facing a short period of homelessness can lead to
depression, mental illness, and incidents of child neglect.
According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, we are experiencing a time period
when worse-case housing needs are at an all-time rise. While some communities
are beginning to see reductions in chronic homelessness, in many communities
family homelessness is booming and families with children are the fastest
growing victims of the homeless population.
According to the U.S
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S Department of Health and
Human Services, the leading causes of homelessness are as follows:
1.
The change in mental health systems since the 1950’s, a shift
towards “community-based” treatment of mentally ill rather than long-term
commitment to institutions.
2.
Re-development and gentrification of neighborhoods in cities,
demolishing low-income neighborhoods.
3.
The economic crisis of the 1970’s and the current economic recession
4.
The failure of the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs to provide
effective mental healthcare for veterans.
5.
Natural disasters
6.
Women and children fleeing domestic violence
7.
Foreclosure of homes
8.
Evictions from apartments
9.
Difficulty of released prisoners to find gainful employment
Homelessness inevitability causes serious health problems. Many severe illnesses are closely related to poverty
including tuberculosis, malnutrition, and severe dental issues all devastate the
homeless population. Health problems that otherwise exist quietly among other
income levels such as alcoholism, mental illness, diabetes, hypertension, and
physical disabilities are more prominent on the streets. People without shelter
also fall prey to parasites, frostbite, infections and violence.
Once a family becomes homeless, it is extremely difficult for them to get back into rental
housing. There is a currant shortage of affordable housing particularly for
larger families with children, and the majority of property owners will not rent
to a family with poor credit history or a previous eviction. Single mothers and
the elderly above all else face enormous obstacles in finding affordable and
decent rental housing. To compound the situation property owners often require
security deposits along with first and last month’s rent and there are often
additional deposits required to obtain utility service, especially if the renter
has a history of non-payment. These factors can all lead to renewed
homelessness.
Homelessness is something that cannot always be avoided. On one hand, there are people who had
perhaps gone bankrupt and were on the streets for the simple reason that they
had not yet found the motivation to fix their lives or improve their situation.
The most dangerous social problem lies in the homeless people suffering from
mental illness. The majority of this problem escalated with the introduction of
de-institutionalization. Civil rights advocates and leaders have long been
working for the mentally ill finding ways to keep them out of hospitals and
programs. Their main goal was to preserve the freedom of these people; however
the efforts made to keep them out of mental health programs have had an adverse
effect and hurt the cause of those diagnosed with mental illnesses at an
alarming rate. People who are homeless and suffer from a mental illness can be
particularly dangerous to society because they are often at times desperate,
needy and completely unaccountable for their actions. Due to the stigma that
surrounds mental illness it becomes difficult for many people to identify these
people by their condition alone. De-institutionalization has left many mentally
incapable people out on the streets without any system of supervision or any
plan for their future. Civil rights movements, while trying to show good intent
have created a system in which there is little to no accountability for a group
that has no control over their actions when un-medicated or not seeking
treatment. Statistics also show that people who are homeless and suffer from
mental illness tend to have much higher rates of suicide. These people lack
accountability for their actions because they are often acquitted of crimes in
a Court of Law on the basis of their mental illness alone. The answer to the
problem is far from just abandoning these people to the streets. They are real
people with real problems and it is important that they are recognized and
treated as such. Because of this one solution may be the re-introduction of
institutionalization for these types of people who have correctly been
recognized as mental health risks. They should have options and receive help
wherever possible. While the financial cost of providing such a public service
may be large it is too big of a social problem to ignore.
Another solution to the homeless problem among families was the implementation of the “Housing
first” or “rapid re-housing” program, which is a new alternative to the previous
system of emergency shelter/transitional housing. In the past the former
programs had a tendency to prolong the length of time that families remained
homeless. The “methodology” is based on the belief that vulnerable and at-risk
families are more responsive to interventions and social service support after they have obtained their own
residence rather than living in the temporary/transitional facilities or housing
programs. The” housing first” program stresses the return of families
independent living as soon as possible. “Providing crisis intervention to
address immediate family needs while assisting families to develop perminate
housing and social service plans, helping families move into affordable housing
in residential neighborhoods as quickly as possible, often with their own lease
agreements; then providing six months to one year of individualized, home-based
social service support “after move” to help each family sustain in large inner
cities, the “housing first” approach provides a link between emergency
shelter/transitional housing systems that serve homeless families and the
mainstream resources and services that can help them to rebuild their lives in
a permanent housing situation and as members of a neighborhood and community”
are the main goals.
While acknowledging and addressing the personal and social factors that contribute to family homelessness, the “Housing
first” methodology was designed to more effectively address the economic root
cause of the problem: the lack of affordable housing. The approach deals with
the problems that homeless families face: poverty, economic development, social
infrastructure and how they all correlate to housing. Families are involved in a
“progressive set of economic and social services after they have obtained
perminate housing and are no longer affected by the crisis of homelessness. The
“housing first” approach also places great emphasis on reducing duplication of
effort and maximizing the effectiveness of community resources by situating
homeless families within the larger community. The program believes in fostering
human connection.”
While there have been several new programs aimed at helping the homeless
and reaching those at risk before they end up there is much work to be done.
Does the government even really care? I struggle with this question daily. I
want to know how this happens in the United States of America. A country that is
so generous to other nations less fortunate yet we fail miserably to care for
our own. I want to know how people can become so invisible to the rest of us. I
want to know how people are asked to serve their country but the country is not
required to serve its people. While is the playing field so uneven? I want to
know why poverty and homelessness escape so many people’s concern. Evidentially
we cannot count on the government to take care of its citizens. Evidentially we
cannot count on the corporations feeling any civic responsibility to help those
with less. Where is our human compassion and empathy for those who
suffer?
Works Cited
1.
http://www.cpa.ia/factsfactssheethomeless.htm
2.
Commentary Magazine/summaries/V8315PQ34-1/June2009
3.
www.hud.gov/homeless/index.cfm
4.
Http://endhomeless.org